Moving is usually a complex, time-consuming process, but finally moving into your new home often brings a feeling of relief. You’ve finally gotten everything there: you just need to find a spot for it. Before you start lugging in boxes and unpacking, however, there are certain considerations you should take into account that could save you considerable time and effort moving in. So, without further ado, here’s an unofficial new home checklist to make the final steps of your move just a bit—or a lot—easier.
Make a Pre-Unpacking To-Do List
Like your new home, but not its colors? Deciding you want to repaint your home after you’ve moved everything into it is a hassle, so make sure to get your home repainted before you bring in a single box or piece of furniture. Also, worried about bugs or vermin getting into your home? Then check for any areas they might enter before filling up your new home with things, and cover up any places where they might get in: if they already have, call an exterminator.
Decide How (and Who) to Move Your Things
The way you ultimately decide to bring your belongings to your home may have a bigger impact on how you unpack than you might think. If you’re planning on moving your things by yourself or with the help of friends, for instance, then you shouldn’t take your boxes of belongings immediately to the room they’re meant to go in, as the clutter will make it more difficult to arrange furniture. In that scenario, it’s better to place all your boxes in a single room first (organized by where they will eventually go) and make accommodating furniture an earlier priority.
If you hire professional movers, however, then accommodating your furniture will be a much quicker process. Though more expensive, hiring experienced movers tends to make your job significantly easier, and can help you avoid hurting yourself from physical strain. If you’re not sure whether to hire movers or do the job yourself, try making a list of pros and cons for each option, as well as a budget list. If you do it yourself, make sure to factor in whether you may need a U-Haul and, of course, if you’ll feel comfortable driving with one.
Figure Out Where Things Go Beforehand
Determining where to put your items and furniture on the fly is bound to make the moving-in process a much longer one. While you can certainly change your mind later on, have a strong idea of where everything will go before taking any of it into the new home. While still at your old home, pack everything depending on where it will go in your new home and label both what’s in each box and where in the new home they will be placed.
Don’t Forget About Utilities
You don’t want to move into a new home without electricity, gas and running water. Make sure everything is properly transferred by the time you’re actually moving houses. While some things can technically wait, such as your television package and Wi-Fi, don’t put those off for too long, especially if you use the Internet for crucial errands.
Make Your New Home Safe
The number of people who lack alarm systems and smoke detectors is staggering. A home that’s just been moved into can be in an especially vulnerable place, so make sure to install such precautions as soon as possible. While a new home should, in theory, be in fairly good condition, certain potential threats like faulty electrical wiring can still exist and, worse still, may not always be easy to detect at a glance. Smoke detectors are relatively inexpensive to install, meaning there’s no real excuse not to have them; home security systems can be substantially costlier but are more than worth the expense. While you can try saving money on an alarm system by choosing an unmonitored home security option, monitored is usually better, as your alarm company will be able to detect when your alarm goes off and contact emergency services if you are in danger.
So while moving is always going to involve a lot of time and effort, you can cut down on both by giving at least some of these tips a whirl.